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NASCAR Next: Canadian racer Gary Klutt among 11 selected

It was announced late Tuesday that Gary Klutt, a stock car racing star from Halton Hills, Ont., has been selected as one of 11 drivers who will participate in the 2016-2017 NASCAR Next program that’s designed to spotlight the best and brightest rising young stars in North American racing.

Halton Hills race driver Gary Klutt (right), seen here at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park with his father Peter, has been selected to participate in the NASCAR Next program. (NORRIS McDONALD / Toronto Star File Photo)

Gary Klutt, a stock car racing star from Halton Hills, Ont., has been selected as one of 11 drivers who will participate in the 2016-2017 NASCAR Next program that’s designed to spotlight the best and brightest rising young stars in North American racing.

Announced late Tuesday afternoon on the FOX Sports 1 program NASCAR Race Hub (seen in Canada on the FOX Sports Racing channel), Klutt, 23, and six others will join two young racers whose fathers were Sprint Cup stars, a driver from Israel and one who competed on the reality television show “Survivor.”

NASCAR Next is an initiative to bolster fan recognition around young drivers who — it is hoped — will eventually grow into NASCAR Sprint Cup Series mainstays. Drivers must be between the ages of 15-25, have tangible and expressed goals in eventual competition in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and demonstrate the potential to realize that goal.

This year’s NASCAR Next class was selected through an evaluation process that included input from industry executives, the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Drivers Council (all 16 drivers in last season’s Chase for the Championship field were involved) and reporters.

In addition to Klutt, who will be starting his season on Sunday in the NASCAR Pinty’s Series race at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park — part of the Victoria Day Speedfest racing extravaganza — the NASCAR Next participants are (in alphabetical order):

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Harrison Burton (@HBurtonRacing). This 15-year-old from Huntersville, N.C., is the son of former NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Jeff Burton.

Collin Cabre (@CollinCabre12). In his second season driving in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series, the 22-year-old from Tampa, Fla., captured his first career win last October after moving over to stocks from sprint cars.

Spencer Davis (@SpencerDavis_29). Another K&N Pro Series driver, the 17-year-old Dawsonville, Ga., driver won the Sunoco Rookie of the Year Award last season in the NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour series.

Alon Day (@Alon_Day). One of two international drivers on the list (Klutt being the other), Day, 24, from Ashdod, Israel, is the first NASCAR Whelen Euro Series driver to earn a NASCAR Next recognition.

Tyler Dippel (@Tyler_Dippel). An accomplished dirt racer, the 16-year-old from Wallkill, N.Y., scored his first NASCAR K&N Pro Series East victory in March. Dippel previously competed in the DIRTcar Racing Series in the U.S. northeast.

Todd Gilliland (@ToddGilliland_). The son of NASCAR Sprint Cup Series veteran David Gilliland, the 16-year-old from Sherrills Ford, N.C., made NASCAR history by winning his first four career NASCAR K&N Pro Series starts.

Noah Gragson (@NoahGragson). The 17-year-old from Las Vegas finished second in the championship standings last year in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West, collecting the Sunoco Rookie of the Year Award in the process.

Julia Landauer (@julialandauer). From New York City, the 24-year-old got her start racing a variety of cars – from Formula BMW to Ford Focus Midgets to stock cars. The versatile Landauer was a contestant on the hit reality show “Survivor” before graduating from Stanford in 2014 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Science, Technology, and Society. She is racing in the K&N Pro Series West this season.

Ty Majeski (@TyMajeski). The 21-year-old from Seymour, Wisc., showcased his ability with a dominating display at Florida’s New Smyrna Speedway in February, winning the 2016 Super Late Model championship in the 50th Annual World Series of Stock Car Racing.

Matt Tifft (@Matt_Tifft). A development driver for Joe Gibbs Racing, the 19-year-old from Hinckley, Ohio, is driving part-time in the Xfinity Series as well as racing in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series for Red Horse Racing.

Klutt — (@Garyklutt) — is the second Canadian to be named to the program (the first, Cameron Hayley of Calgary, is currently racing in the Camping World Truck Series) and the first full-time driver from the NASCAR Pinty’s Series.

The son of Legendary Motorcar Co. Ltd. owner Peter Klutt, Gary Klutt represents a crop of young drivers who are having an impact on Canada’s national championship stock car racing series. He earned his first career pole and win last year en route to being named the Jostens Rookie of the Year. He finished fifth in series points and is expected to be among the title contenders this year.

“The NASCAR Next program has introduced current stars such as Kyle Larson, Chase Elliott and Ryan Blaney to the NASCAR fan, and we believe this year’s class has the same potential,” said Jill Gregory, NASCAR senior vice president of marketing and industry services.

“These drivers have shown the talent and intangibles to climb the NASCAR ladder, and we looking forward to watching their careers grow.”

Jason Christley, Sr. Manager, Integrated Marketing Communications for NASCAR, cautioned that NASCAR Next is not a scholarship program.

“It’s about recognition,” he said. “They’re all in Charlotte for the announcement on FOX Sports 1 and there will be a media luncheon on Wednesday. There’s a website — nascarnext.com — and we work with them on social media and fan engagement.

“This is not only to help them but to help NASCAR fans get to know them before they move into trucks, Xfinity and, eventually, Cup. There will be a number of opportunities throughout the season where there will be fan and media events outside of their regular series obligations. Gary will be included in all of that.

“This will help with his brand recognition and reputation outside of Canada, where many race fans already know who he is. People elsewhere will pick up on who he is and what he does.”

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